ANGIE SHEEP <Staff Writer> Last Friday, a fellow Ozzie (who will remain unnamed) stumbled upon me in a bit of a panic. He had just remembered that his girlfriend’s birthday was in two days, and he had not bought a present. Before you pass judgment, I should mention that they have been dating for four years. Now you can judge away. I’m pretty sure her birthday fell on the same day each of...
CASS DA RE
<Features Editor>
Have you been to Buca lately? What about Splendido, Scaramouche, Sotto Sotto, Scarpetta or Mistura? What do you mean you haven’t been to the most expensive Italian restaurants in Toronto lately? The “price of textbooks” and “tuition” you say? To that I say: I couldn’t agree more.
MAX PATERSON <Arts & Culture Editor> You may or may not have heard of him, but Noel Fielding is a giant cultural icon in the UK. He is smooth, quirky, witty, outrageously fashionable, and he could quite possibly be the most insane man on television. Fielding is best known for his show The Mighty Boosh, but has since moved on from to create a 22-minute creative mess called Noel...
DANIEL STYLER <Contributor> Yunel Escobar, the talented but underperforming shortstop for the last-place Toronto Blue Jays, has been suspended by the team for three games for having the Spanish words “tu eres maricon” written in his eye black. These words, translated to English, mean the following: “you are a faggot.” A few weeks earlier, Scott Diamond, a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins...
NADIA GUO
<News Editor>
Following the passage of Bill 13 in the Ontario legislature, which effectively became The Accepting Schools Act (or better known as the anti-bullying act), Steve Tourloukis, a dentist and father of two, raised concerns about his children being “indoctrinated” about issues like same-sex marriage in ways contrary to his faith.
CITLALLY MACIEL <Contributor> What do a paparazzo and a gas station have in common? Well, if you have been attentive to the news lately, you may know that these refer to two events. Although seemingly different, they have brought about a series of legal questions and discussions back to the table. One is the issue of privacy, relating to some topless pictures of Kate Middleton. On the other...
JIHEE (MARIE) PARK <Contributor> Swedish researchers and doctors have successfully carried out human uterus transplants from mother to daughter. This will no doubt be cause of much talk in ethics that will force us to re-examine the acceptable limits of medical science and its technological applications. Swedish doctors and researchers are boasting about their recent accomplishment, a...
There’s an elephant in the Canadian room right now that this publication still hasn’t addressed. There’s a new Premier on the scene, and she (apparently) means business. Pauline Marois has spent the last two months saying deliberately shocking things to rile up anglophone Quebeckers and the citizens of the so-called “Rest of Canada” (or ROC, for short). Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t...
CASS DA RE <Features Editor> Bloomberg Businessweek, formerly known as BusinessWeek, published an article entitled “Three Types of People to Fire Immediately.” The authors encouraged people in power of innovative companies to identify (and the weakest links are often easily identifiable) the members on his/her team who “passive-aggressively block innovation from happening and will suck the...
DOUGLAS JUDSON <Contributor> In July, I submitted a piece to my hometown newspapers in Northwestern Ontario. In my submission (full-text here), I explained how tremendously important it is for individuals and organizations to be deliberately accepting and welcoming of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and ally (LGBTQA) individuals, regardless of the known presence or absence of...
KAROLINA WISNIEWSKI
<Opinions Editor>
The Economist has its critics. Bloggers have taken to calling it “comically stupid”, other publications deride its biased outlook, and even Chomsky publically commented on its misrepresentations and lack of credibility.
CASS DA RE <Features Editor> Are you having one of those slow, dreary days? Maybe you stayed up too late doing readings, and are now regretting it. Or, you stayed up too late not doing readings, and are regretting that. Either way, law school students are by no means known for their persistently perky and positive personalities. We are much more known for studying, late night coffee runs...
For those of you who remain skeptical of the potential hazards of genetically modified foods—even in the wake of the recent ‘anti-organic’ media-blitz prompted by a Stanford University study—the US Military is quietly unveiling the next frontier in genetic modification. On Aug. 13, 2012 the Daily Mail ran an article titled, “Army of the future: Soldiers will be able to run at Olympic speed and...
TRAVIS WEAGANT <Editor-in-Chief> Once upon a time, in France, my roommates and I got drunk and watched the Olympics. The end. Or, at least, that could have been the end. That should have been the end. But it wasn’t. It’s common sense that just because the United States wins the most medals at the Olympic Games doesn’t mean they’re the most gifted athletic nation on Earth. It’s also clear...
OSGOODE O-WEEK: OLWAYS OWESOME <Jon O’Kane> Special to the Obiter Dicta* Add one part nervous energy, a heaping pile of excitement, a dash of Ethical Lawyering, the finest hint of Dean Sossin and you’ve got yourself a recipe for Orientation Week 2012. The Class of 2015 came in with a bang – and I don’t just mean the thunderstorm on Tuesday, September 4th that greeted you at the door. With...
ANDREW CYR <Sports Editor> Greeting Sports Fans! The OHAA would like to thank everyone who came out to the Clubs Fair and signed up for intramurals. If you didn’t make it, don’t fret; you can still join a team by e-mailing osgoodeintramurals@gmail.com. We are currently registering teams for hockey, soccer, softball, volleyball, basketball, Ultimate frisbee, and inner-tube water polo. ...
That time of year is upon us. Second year students are in the process of preparing for the recruitment process generally and OCIs specifically. This piece seeks to provide some very high level advice for those participating in the process. A brief limiting statement is required before I start. OCIs are certainly an important part of law school for many students. It can be a source of stress and...
TOM WILSON <Chair, Student Caucus> With the start of a new year at Osgoode, I want to take this opportunity as Chair of Student Caucus to welcome everyone back and to report on Caucus’ work over the summer. First, allow me to address an age-old question: how is Student Caucus different from Legal and Lit? Here’s the long and short of it … Legal and Lit is the overarching student government...
To begin, the music festival was called “Riotfest”. With a name like that, It’s hard not to draw up visions of crusty punks and black clad anarchists throwing garbage cans through windows and burning copies of the Constitution. In terms of the lineup, it was the musical equivalent of that vision. However, since Riotfest was held on a Sunday, the crowd reacted more like “Hungover-fest”.
MAX PATERSON <Arts & Culture Editor> As TIFF progresses and the stars drift in and out of the Toronto social scene, it was hard for the Obiter to ignore a chance to rub knuckles with Hollywood’s finest. We were fortunate enough to be invited to the premiere of Seven Psychopaths, the new feature by writer/director Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Six Shooter). Although, it was amusing to...
Angie Sheep <Contributor> The summer may be vanishing before our eyes and glowing tanned skin, but it leaves behind something untouched: its wardrobe. Oh if only it could take that away with it too and let fall deliver its spectacular fashions! But if you’re like me – a poor law student with only a few cents to spend on the luxury of clothing – then you have to make do...
NANCY SITU <Senior Editor-in-Chief> It’s not every day that a Western-financed North Korean fiction feature shows in a Yonge-Dundas theatre on a breezy Tuesday night. It’s not even every day that North Korean fiction films can be Western-financed. In fact, Comrade Kim Goes Flying was the first ever. The “light-hearted romantic comedy” is about a perky young Korean coal miner/construction...
MOHSEN SEDDIGH <Contributor> On the eve of the release of Ben Affleck’s Argo, Canada has closed its embassy in Iran and declared personae non gratae all remaining Iranian diplomats in Ottawa. It was a sudden announcement that did not come as a colossal surprise as relations between the two countries have been shaky during the past few years, in particular since the death of an Iranian...
When the Canadian government is labelled racist by Iran, it follows that we have done something right. Quite apart from racism, the Canadian government has demonstrated principled moral leadership in its decision to close its embassy in Iran and expel Iranian diplomats from Canada. In response to Canada’s decision, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that “The hostile behaviour of the current...
MAX PATERSON <Arts/Culture Editor> This time every year Toronto is invaded by some of the world’s best filmmakers and brightest stars, as people pour into the city for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). For TIFF newbies, selecting the movies you want to see, long lines, confusing schedules, odd show times, and unbuttered popcorn, can all provide for a unpleasant...